People across China have spent many hours queueing at their local temple to pray to Buddha and receive free Laba Congee, a traditional dish eaten at this time of year.

The rice porridge, which contains various mixed grains, nuts and dried fruits from the harvest year, differs slightly from place to place, but the sweet, red porridge is believed to bring luck and joy. According to folklore, a bowl of the good stuff can also dispel evil.

In northern China, people also make special 'Laba garlic' to mark the day. The vinegar-soaked vegetable is said to have been used to urge debt repayment in the past, as Laba occurs near the end of the year and 'garlic' (suàn, 蒜 in Chinese) sounds almost identical to 'calculate' (suàn, 算). These days, however, it is eaten with Chinese dumplings.